A black man rising

Back when I was in middle school, my mother dabbled in political organizing as a campaign volunteer for Lucille Whipper, a woman of great stature where I'm from. I also tagged along on several occasions and got my first taste of politics at the grassroots level. Today, by chance, I learned of the tragic death of her grandson, Jasiri Whipper. As you can surmise from the tremendous shock, sorry, and solemness conveyed by every person with a comment, Jasiri was a stand-up guy. The thing that stood out to me the most was when someone questioned why they hadn't heard more about him when he was alive, despite the fact that he was a writer (and a damn good one) for the local newspaper. A very good question indeed.

You beat me.
No, you beat me.

You beat me on the back.
You beat me on the buttocks.

You beat me in my loin.

You beat me about my head and neck.

You beat me until I bled.
You beat me until I cried out.
You beat me until I fell to the ground.
You beat me until I lost consciousness.

You tried to beat me to death.
You tied to beat my Africa out of me.

But the more you beat me,
the more resilient I became.

Yes me,
the one who shoots your hoops
and runs your balls,
resilient.

Yes me,
the one you impoverish
and imprison,
resilient.

Yes me,
A black man rising.

-James Chapmyn

RIP, Jordan Gebre-Medhin

Jordan Gebre-Medhin was a tenured professor of African-American Studies at my alma mater, Northeastern University. I had the privilege of taking one of his classes as an elective and it my first time ever hearing of Eritrea. By now, many have come to know of this small country that gained its independence from Ethiopia. Yet, what many do not know is that professor Gebre-Medin was one of the leading catalysts for that independence. Let's just say he was one of those leaders who played the background but had an immense impact on the affairs of the world. That's certainly a legacy to be admired.

aspire to inspire

Powerful.

Those are the words that immediately come to mind after reading this essay, written by the homie Mr. Tran. I have come to know him as an off-the-hook high school science teacher with superior technology skills and a very down-to-earth demeanor. Yet, I had no idea how truly ill he was until today. Literally, his words have inspired me to do better. I like to think of my work as using technology as a means to engage and empower; much like he relates science as a tool for science justice. Utmost respect and big-ups to Mr Tran for some very thought-provoking and insightful writing.

God, save these streets

So as I sit here listening to Mos Def's, "Katrina Clap," I sift through the Bay State Banner e-mail newsletter and notice they did a story on the homie Ra'Shaun Nalls, a real good dude doing real good things. The article pretty much speaks for itself. He's never joined a gang or spent a night in jail. He gives it to the youth straight with no chaser. He used to put his all into it on the court when we played ball at Northeastern and he's still putting his all into his work trying to save the kids. Big ups to Ra'Shaun!

A view of China through hopeful eyes

Annie Osborn, an 11th grader at Boston Latin School, wrote this op-ed in today's Boston Globe. It is a fascinating account of her study abroad in China. Her writing speaks like a diary in mellowed tones and cautious optimism. This is by far one of the best op-eds I have ever read. Although it speaks acutely about her specific experiences thus far, it offers some interesting anecdotal commentary on the state of the world in which we live today. Check it out for yourself. Shout-out to Annie for being ill like that.

connect.politic.ditto

I had an interesting weekend.

I BS'd on writing a new piece almost called it quits until the writer's block gave away with barely an hour to spare before i had to get showered and dressed for a gala. I'm very appreciative of the feedback on it thus far.

The gala was dope. It was pricey, but not nearly as unaffordable as Steppin Out. Yet, it was on that level. I'm glad we got NSBE back involved this year. Gonna have to stay connected this time around and make it an annual thing. I'm gonna mak money when I'm old selling throwback pictures of us to my friends. Elderly entrepreneurs are us!

My son's school had a Pancake Breakfast at Applebees. I didn't make it last year, so wasn't sure what to expect. I should have stayed in bed for those two measly flapjacks.

I went to Orchard Gardens for the annual holiday party. It's always good to see the young kids having fun and enjoying themselves, especially in neighborhoods where outsiders would be quick to cast them aside as doomed to fail wih no hope for tomorrow. My peoples from Chucktown know what time it is. I will say though that was one helluva grouchy elf.

Went to a birthday for a 1-year-old. It was good to see and hang with the fellas. Jokes galore. And i was due for some good ribbing. The Critic takes no prisoners. We're getting old, boys.

I missed the Styles P concert and probably cried on the inside for a few seconds until i got over it. Maybe next time.

Sunday consisted of me being tortured by the multiple schizophrenics who discussed politics, photography, homosexaulity, religion, medicine, and current events for several hours. I've been spending a lot of time with these crazy people lately and the bond has grown tighter, yet the immenseness of what we are working cannot be understated. i just hope and pray we don't drop the ball and miss our window of opportunity. A lot of good things could potentially comeout of the groundwork we are doing that many others have worked on before us.

And lastly, I had a homemade breakfast at 9pm. Talk about a scrumptious Sunday dinner. You want beef kielbasa with your pancakes, young man? Hells yeah!

Today, I have help desk duty so all my teachers who don't know how to work their laptops; holla. And tonight is an intergenerational politics discussion and fact-finding activity. Should be an interesting and enlightening time. Holla.

i daydream in technicolor

"I don't want you to tell me what to do
And I don't want them to call it technicolor
when it's only shades of red that's filling up your head"
-Awol One & Daddy Kev, "Agony

for miss bessie

one morning not long ago
i arose to the sound of beeeeeeeeeep
beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep
but this was not your average alarm clock
it was a garbage truck
traveling in reverse down my 1-way street
its incessant beeping
lured me from out of my midnight coma
into a crisp, cold post-dawn sky full of hushed pink hues
so i peered through the blinds as I slid on my house shoes
and saw a black leprechaun perched atop the hood of my ride
(deep breath) i sighed
unable and unwilling to undergo his torment to my pride
so this time i phoned a friend
and in no less than 5 minutes
i had him surrounded by my gang of gentlemanly goons
who were soon to graduate into goblins
and then - at that very moment
he said, WAIT!

i have have something to tell you
for the past 6 weeks
i have sat on the hood of your car
at precisely the same time every morning
that the trash folk choose to slide through
yet you consistently wave your hand
as though it were a wand
and tell me to shoo
yet you never asked was it is that i can do

so apparently
i hadn't fully flushed all the crust from the corners of my eyes
because before me was in fact a pitch black cat
with piercing eyes like my moms
and an elongated tail that twirled from front to back
with the flair of an acrobat

i am the mythical creature who lurks in the shadows of your nightmares

i am the sorcerer who blows cold air down your spine to provide the chill when you are scared

the overseer who prevails during your misfortune
the corner boy who supports your self-torture

no you see, i have this problem in both the present and past tense
i am not and never have been a fan of the absence of common sense
so why would you ask me a question to which you already had an answer
rhetorically speaking, your mere existence is a cancer

yet, i'll forgive your snubs
cuz grandama told me it ain't healthy to hold no grudge
but who am i to judge
plus, i do thank you for giving my morning a nudge

my dear friend, surely you must realize i was not done
i am the celestial spirit of both the father and the son
the rich blue providing background noise for the clouds
the focal point you direct your energy when life's noise gets a bit too loud

i daydream in technicolor
seeing only what you cannot
although you may be a bit taller
i see the end results when you've only just begun to plot

no magic 8-balls need to be shaken in my helm
i coach from afar and let you master your realm
i am the warm breeze on the road to prime time
i count the bass' grooves as you kick snares on the drum line

you see my dear friend, it's never about being a distraction
my goal in life is for you to recognize the importance of your interactions
so let's just keep this between you and i, you hear
when things get shaky just humble yourself and confide in me your fears

call your folks more often and let the ones you love hear you say it live
and trust that your faith in the power of hope will keep blessings at your side
i am the comforter offering warmth to you mind
just as long as your color within the dotted lines

amen

the consequence of your ignorance is the reality I now see before me

"the message will now be profoundly spoken
rules are meant to be broken
therefore it's my pleasure to mentor
but once learned you must yearn to discern
the mechanical glitch of artificial intelligence"
-Cee-Lo, "Microhard"

Once upon a time, I was in the 8th grade. My school, Buist Academy, had a mentoring program for 8th-graders that consisted of a day-long apprenticeship or job shadow component that occurred monthly. I remember getting dropped off in the white hoopty to the shopping plaza near the intersection of Rivers Ave & Aviation Ave (where Old Country Buffet used to be).

You see, a year or two earlier I had gotten the novel idea in my mind that I wanted to become an engine er when I grew up. So all the math and science that was whatever to me now mattered a lot more. I recall learning my social security number for the first time and hearing that I'd have to start memorizing it because I'd need it more often as I got older. But of course, nobody was talking about identity theft just yet. Go figure.

Anyways, I think it may have been the phone company or something like that. But I think there were three of us who all got assigned the same crew of adults. Whether they were engineers or technicians escapes me. I do remember one of them was white and one of them was black. And they had a good working relationship. Furthermore, all three of us were barely-teen black males who wanted to be engineers who lived in the city where the Civil War started and in a state notorious for being at the bottom of everyone's educational rankings.

We didn't give a damn. Set your mind to it and bang it out. Dream big and push yourself to achieve regardless of circumstance. And be ready and willing to sit up straight and listen to words of wisdom.

So....my peoples at the Boston Private Industry Council are coordinating their annual Job Shadow Day. It is scheduled for Friday, January 30, 2009. Professionals do not have to pay anything to participate. They just have to be willing to host a student for a half-day and allow them to "shadow" you at the workplace. It is a great opportunity to support the career aspirations of the youth of this city. Plus, some of the conversation you'll have with these youth will truly stimulate your brain cells. Even though I am not from Boston, I can attest wholeheartedly that a job shadow experience is very rewarding and worth every second. Hell, I first learned how to use Microsoft Windows and was playing MineSweeper back in the fall of 1993 thanks to those 2 dudes. You down?

We from Magnet, son

My alma mater, Academic Magnet High School, was recently ranked #9 in the most recent US News & World Report rankings of America's Best High Schools. Boston Latin School was ranked #27 on the list, making it one of only schools in the state of Massachusetts to crack the top 100. But back to Magnet, maybe this will help spur some renewed interest in our alumni association becoming a more formal entity. Holla

A boy can make 'em, but a man can raise one

"You see, I hate when a brother makes a child and then denies it
Thinking that money is the answer so he buys it
A whole bunch of gifts and a lot of presents
It's not the presents, it's your presence and essence
Of being there..."
-Ed OG, "Be a Father to Your Child"

One of my personal struggles as an adult the last six years has been my parenting skills. There are those times when you feel on top of the world and ready to confront any challenge. And yet, there are those times when you want to wave the white flag, hang up your cleats, and simply call it quits. Dealing with tantrums and smelly poop come with the territory. But for all of this, I try (or at least I think I do) my best to keep a level-headed approach in the way that I raise my son. I surely won't be self-nominating myself for any awards, because there is certainly room for improvement on my part. However, I do feel that I can drop a gem every now and again as well. I'm half reluctant to even talk about it much because of that old throwback Chris Rock joke (when he was still funny) about how you're supposed to be taking care of your kids. So back-patting aside, I was pleasantly delighted to read an article (At school, there's no one like Dad) about local dads being more involved in the schools.

The story highlights the monthly Dads Club meetings at the nearby Trotter Elementary School, which is "at the forefront of a national movement to get more men involved at their children's schools." Ironically, my son's school is having a Dads Reading Day on the Friday before Christmas. I think I'm going to have to float the idea of starting our own Dads Club and see if we can get it to pop off. Big shouts to Ed OG who continues to be a role model to this very day.

we don't believe you, you need more people

"A wise man told me don't argue with fools
Because people from a distance can't tell who is who"
-Jay-Z, "Takeover"

Humorist Josh Billings must have had Joan Venocchi's article, "Turner plays the race card," in mind when that he said, "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." To imply that US Attorney Sullivan has forced the discussion of a new wave of black leadership is utterly laughable. Far too often, laudable deeds in the community go uncovered and thus, receive little to no attention in the mainstream media. It is indisputable that public opinion is largely affected by what the media chooses to allow through its filters. If it's not sensational or crime-related, rarely will you see it above the fold. Imbalanced coverage of communities of color has long been a standard operating procedure bemoaned by many. Maybe all of this commotion will also force Boston media outlets to take a closer look at what they determine to be worthwhile news and start to shine light on the people, organizations, and movements of the city that truly keeps it thriving.

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.

My peoples who work at Bank of America; please bear with me. I still love yall. But BoA should be ashamed. My peoples in the Chi are probably hip by now to the news that the Republic WIndows and Doors company shut down one of its plants this week. However, instead of giving workers the 60 days advance notice to which the were entitled and by which the company was required to do so by law, they only gave the workers 3 days notice. 'Tis true, yo. The company claims that BoA won't allow them to pay out the severance and vacation back pay the employees are owed in light of how the manufacturer's revenues dropped in the last month. So guess what? They took it back to some real grassroots ish. The laid-off employees have been occupying the closed plant. It makes me think of 2001 when students at my alma mater occupied the African-American Institute. Ah....the good ole days. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention one small detail. Bank of America got $25 billion as part of the big bailout that made headlines mere weeks ago. Furious anger, yo. I've never really paid much attention to labor rights save from some organizing Boston-area janitors did during my college years. Time to start paying attention, I suppose.

Job Opportunity @ Project HIP-HOP

We just finished the job description. As we aim to tae the organization to higher levels, we need someone with a real presence and vision to join us as we strategically impact the lives of the youth we serve. You know the drill, yo.

Deputy Director, Project HIP-HOP

Job Category: Administrative
Job Types: Permanent
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Roxbury, MA

The Deputy Director must be a highly motivated professional who understands the challenges of building a grassroots organization. He/she will be responsible for playing a significant role in fundraising, with a focus on grant writing and event planning. A successful candidate will be highly dependable and organized, a great advocate for our mission and programs, have the heart of a community organizer, comfortable working with people from diverse backgrounds, and meticulous at managing events. This position reports directly to the Executive Director.

Job Responsibilities

Fundraising (approx 30% of time)
• Work closely with the Executive Director (ED) and the Board Fundraising Committee to establish overall development strategy.
• Research, prepare, and write grant proposals to secure increased funding from private foundations for annual operating funds and project-specific grants
• Manage fundraising events for Project HIP-HOP
• Manage the Development database and oversee data entry. Improve usage of existing software and tracking systems
• Serve as a resource to young people when they plan their own fundraising events and get young people involved in the fundraising process
• Manage all requests for in-kind donations.

Board and Organizational Development (approx. 10% of time)
• Manage the logistics of board meetings – setting dates, sending out reminders, taking notes and following up with board members on their tasks
• Assist the Executive Director, Board President and Organizational Development consultant in executing strategic planning and organizational development work
• Work with the ED to support the young people who serve on the board

Volunteer Management (approx 10% of time)
• Recruit volunteers to assist with all aspects of Project HIP-HOP’s work
• Monitor overall volunteer relations to ensure that volunteers are followed up with, screened, trained and connected to a particular role in a professional and timely manor.

Overseeing Programming (approx 50% of time)
Currently, the ED supervises all programming. The new Deputy Director will need to supervise programming in either two of the following areas: Girls Support Work, Boys Support Work, Hip Hop Arts & Culture, Community Engagement, the Summer Leadership Training or the Lower Roxbury Youth Collaborative. The Hiring Committee and the Executive Director will work with potential candidates to figure out which area they are most qualified to lead.
• Supervise staff within programming area
• Manage the setting of yearly outcomes and quarterly program workplans
• Ensure that programming is moving in line with the overall vision of Project HIP-HOP
• Maintain program reports that will be used to update other staff and the board
• Participate in weekly programming activities particularly in the first year of employment

Qualifications and Application Requirements

Skills & Qualifications:

Requisite Values
- Belief that in order for communities to transform, the people who live there must be at the forefront of decision-making and they must be able to set their own path for success
- Ongoing commitment to working with low-income Black and Latino communities
- Recognize that relationship building is the key foundation on which all other service and organizing work is built
- See the people that you are working with not as “clients” but as your personal “community” and in some cases your “family”
- Able to balance the need to really support people with the need to hold people to high standards

Background Experience
- At least two years of experience in youth development work
- Strong background in social justice issues
- Ability to work with young people who have educational or criminal justice challenges
- Background in development and implementation of programs

Desired Skills
- Good interpersonal skills specifically as related to working closely w/ teenagers
- Ability to see an idea through completion w/ teamwork , but without close supervision
- Creativity around working with students with different needs (esp. educational needs)
- Strong Facilitation Skills – Can manage a meeting of 30 people, keep them on track, and move through an ambitious agenda
- Driver’s license preferable

To Apply:
Resumes and cover letters can be sent by e-mail, fax or snail mail by December 17, 2008 to the following:

jobs @ projecthiphop.org
617-427-7955 (fax)
Project HIP-HOP, 2181 Washington Street, Suite 315, Roxbury, MA 02119

Please go to our website for more information about Project HIP-HOP. If you have any questions contact Mariama White-Hammond at 617-427-7950. 
NOTE – Cover letter required. We will not respond to generic cover letters

Trying to live high on the hog leaves you bankrupt

"keep it all in perspective, carbon copies
Getting caught up in the Paparazzi"
-Xzibit, "Paparazzi"

Brian Schmitz, a writer for the Orlando Sentinel, wrote this nice piece on Monday that gave me some newfound respect for Tony Battie. My bball heads will recall Battie as a former Celtic - and current Magic - player, who was no All-Star, but got it in when necessary. The article takes a journey in time eight years ago to when Pierce got jumped in a local club while out with Battie and his brother (who used to STAY up in the clubs. lol).

"We're all people before we're players. This is what we do; this is not really who we are. Outside the bright lights and jerseys and screaming fans, we're fathers, we're brothers, we're sons. We're just regular people..."

Anyways, the gist of it is how happy Battie was for Pierce and how the Celtics came up last season when Pierce almost didn't make it past that episode. He talks about how he felt like he didn't have his boy's back because he was using the bathroom when the attack happened and ended up going through a brief bout of depression afterwards. This is one of those sports stories that go beyond the sport itself and doesn't just sensationalize stuff just for the hell of it.

I hope that God forgive us, all of us sinners

Turn us back into beginners
Put us up where the winners go
Holy apartments in the gardens in which the rivers flow
Thank you for all your blessings and all of your miracles
-Lupe Fiasco, "Fighters"

I came across an article and video clip today about the Louis D Brown Peace Institute. Apparently, their budget was severely impacted by the state's latest budget cuts. I have previously written about the Peace Institute and my admiration for the its mission. I've participated in their Mother's Day Walk for Peace several times. Coincidentally, I had a conversation during lunch today that made me think of my all-time favorite movie scene. It's a scene that leaves me very humbled and emotional every time I watch it. It's very similar to the feeling I get when I hug Tina Chery. If you happen to be in a generous mood, please feel free to swing by the fundraiser at Blarney Stone tonight from 7-9pm that the good folks from H. Levenbaum Real Estate are throwing. I'm about to make my donation. Here are a few more links if you'd like to contribute as well.

Life is like video footage; hard to edit; directors that never understood it

"I'm too impulsive, my deadly corrosive dosage
attack when you least notice through explosive postage"
-Wu Tang Clan, "Reunited"

I've made my share of comments on the recent allegations regarding City Councilor Chuck Turner. I took a half day off from work on Monday and went down to City Hall. Peep Press Pass TV's footage of the event. If you are a youth interested in film/video, you might want to holla at Press Pass TV. It is a very good program with top-notch staff.

Money, Power, Respect...what you need in life

interesting trailer. Mr. Jackson definitely gets his hustles on.

Prosecutor, do you have any more evidience?

"We're blind to color when it comes to the evidence?"
-U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan.

"And yet they say this is the Home of The Free.
But if you ask me, it's all about hypocrisy.
The constitution? Yo, it don't apply to me.
Lady Liberty? Stupid 6!tch lied to me."
-2Pac, "Words of Wisdom"

Indeed, these are some interesting times in which we live. I have noticed the many news reports and analysis of how things have seemingly come full circle. Yet, even all the hope in the world didn't have me convinced that life was going to be a box of chocolate as Mr. Gump opined.

Your president is black.
Your lambo is a still a dream.
Your net worth is red.

In fact, life is just as crazy and volatile and risky as ever. State Senator Dianne Wilkerson resigned two days ago. This morning, City Councilor Chuck Turner was arrested for allegedly similar crimes.

Through all of this, I am troubled. I noticed brother Jamarhl stated that it seems to be an attack on black leadership. He ain't never lied. I fully agree and don't think for a second it just started a month ago. We know about Kilpatrick. We know about Barry. Yes, accountability is key. But the stakes are high and some shT just ain't right.

It took months before State Senator Marzili resigned. And Sal DiMasi STILL has yet to be called out by his peers to step down. Does the phrase Rockefeller Laws ring a bell? DiMasi was peddling coke, ecstasy, and OxyContin, while Wilkerson was on the corners and Turner was a runner.

I went to sleep at 4 this morning very tired, yet very inspired after having a very transformative night with a tremendously thought-provoking and moving group of people. I type this with mixed emotions and thoughts. Obviously, this is far from over. So I'll continue catching up, digesting, and dissecting the information overload before I regurgitate some actual well-thought-out responses. But for now, maybe we are simply just living on larger plantations. Why be afraid of black power when racism is still institutionalized.

my head hurts.

Life can be only what you make it

"When you're feeling down
You should never fake it
Say what's on your mind
And you'll find in time
That all the negative energy
It would all decease"
-Mary J Blige, "My Life"

My Life to Be - Stories for Change

Almost four years ago, I signed up for this program called the Community Enrichment Fellows Program. In the first cohort, in which several friends of mine participated, they had the opportunity to engage in a leadership and capacity-building training focused on leadership and community service. The second cohort, mine, focused more on public service and the underground aspects of political organizing and campaigning.

CEFP, hosted by my alma mater, was a very instrumental program that helped to focus my sensibilities and relation to public officials. I lightly applied pressure to a fellow Fellow in hope of persuading him to run for office. But truly, i knew just one campaign wasn't going to be enough. Nonetheless, we are on the eve of some serious wreck catching in the Bean. With that said, allow me to introduce you to Jayme Bonds, one of our classmates from the 2nd CEFP cohort. She is a great role model and delight. I happened to come across this wonderful clip produced over a year ago highlighting her story. I really appreciate the use of new media to convey this message. It really strikes a chord knowing she had a primary hand in crafting its flow. We could file this away under media literacy, self-determination, and life lessons all in one. But to tuck it away would not serve it justice. So just think of the old Mary J jam and say hello to Jayme. Word.

"If you looked in my life and see what I've seen."

the absence of common sense

a wise man (or woman) recognizes that it is a smart move to hire staffers who are smarter than you to provide counsel and advice. That's what cabinets are for, right? Well, riddle me this, yo. Who the hell is whispering in Mayor Menino's ear? He is proposing a $40 million renovation of the Northern Ave bridge. Really? Surely, you cannot be serious.

First of all, that bridge is only open to pedestrian traffic right now. The structure is MAD old. MAD. Plus, in the billion years that it's been there, only the last five or so had the huge Moakley Courthouse building at one end. It;s congested enough over there as it is. Furthermore, Fort Point Channel is chump change. It's a small sliver of water that is mostly unused. No paddle boats or kayaks over there, kiddies. To spend $40 million so the few boats that dock between the Northern Ave and Seaport Blvd bridges is preposterous to me. It may seem like small stuff, but really though. Can I live? Better yet, can I not live in a city with mixed-up priorities. Kowtow to the few at the expense of the many. This is just as bad as the whole move City Hall to the Waterfront idea. Riddle me something else: why are we so in love with everything Waterfront-related? Geesh.

Travel to a place sweeter than home, listening to Nina Simone

"Repeat this psalm
To the sky I'm keeping my palms"
-Common f/ Vinia Mojica, "Time Travelin'"

So there's this Nina Simone song in my collection by the name of "Pirate Jenny." It is a very murky and haunting tale of a young cleaning women; presumably, Jenny. She speaks of how she keeps scrubbing the floors while she is rendered as an afterthought to the people in town. Until one day, his black freighter comes to town and catches wreck. Only one building is spared; the cheap hotel where she lives. This joint could be a novel, yo. I'll let you listen to the song to actually figure out the rest of the story for yourself. One top of the free download, I've even got lyrics for you to follow along. Don't say I don't love ya. Lastly, the image accompanying this post is a photo of a painting, "The Black Freighter," by Cagen Luse. Cagen is a talented brother with some seriously ill skills. I am talking design, painting, illustration, photography, animation, and cartooning. If you ever wanted to cop some great artwork, you may want to consider his Americana Noir collection. Give that brother a holla.

I got the trees in my backyard and it's hard for them to tell a lie to me

"You gots to gimme gimme mine cause I'm heavy when I weigh it"

Reverse NIMBY?
In an Evolving Harlem, Newcomers Try to Fit In

"I sing the song you never heard before
I feed the famine in your mind"
-De La Soul, "Ego Trippin' (Part Two)"

interesting dynamic that i got put on to by the ladies at afropolege. it gives a peculiar glance at the cultural shifts in effect in the home of the 1-2-5. I was last there in July to chill at my uncle's annual 4th of July cookout. Both that article and this Population Puzzle one raise some interesting questions about community identity and such.

A Week of Exhaling

finally got the short video I made last week uploaded to youtube so the far-flung fam could enjoy.

the symbolism of race and the reality of power

mad lazy with it, but i found the gist of this piece pretty enthralling.

Commentary: When a black man was invited to the White House

kinda gives new meaning to that spiritual refrain of We Shall Overcome, huh?

Building A Successful Consulting Practice

For those that attended today's workshop at the Professional Development Conference in Parsippany, NJ, I have provided the presentation for your archives as PDF files with either each slide on one page or 3 slides per page with space for notes.

Those other two website suggestions were BruceClay and WebCEO. I hope you enjoyed the session and I look forward to hearing of the big things you pop off in the future. Holla.

All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten - by Robert Fulghum

Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.

These are the things I learned..

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life.

Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup - they all die. So do we.

And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and sane living.

Think of what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

Word.

Making it up as we go along

Some folks are really feeling good right about now. Obama's election has given new meaning to the phrase, "keep hope alive." Others feel that regardless of his skin color, he still won't be able to do jack in the Oval Office. I am a fan of this insightful editorial piece. It captures some great anecdotes. Sometimes preparation can only get you but so far. As long as you are competent and know how to think critically and approach problems with a solution-oriented way of solving them, most things should work out just fine. I can get with that. The last 48 hours have seen a rush of energy, excitement, adrenaline, and joy that I have never witnessed before on such a massive, ubiquitous scale. Will he solve all of the world's problems? Probably not. Will things be any better years from now? Who knows. But what I DO know is that buy-in (top-down and bottom-up) is very important when you have grandiose plans. And with all of these folks newly proud to be American once again, I'd say that's the most buy-in this country has seen in quite some time.

yes we did

tears have trickled down my face since last night

I'm from poverty, neglected by the wealthy

"Life is short is what some n!gga said
Not if you measure life - by how one lives and what he did
it's funny how these black killer companies is making money off us
Fast food, cola, soda, Skull & Bone crosses, it's all poison"
-Nas, "What Goes Around (Poison)"

it's election day.

instead of the usual kiddie fare, the lil homie had to endure a 47-page childrens book on Barack Obama as his bedtime story. It was great! I am doubly filled with extreme hope and optimism yet supremely fretful for what the future holds.

plus, with all this talk of recessions and bailouts, we've got MA ballot question #1 about possibly doing away with the state income tax. I found this online Massachusetts Budget Game Calculator to be pretty dope. It's interesting to see what were the non-negotiables. It's that ripple effect that leaves you a bit uncertain. I'm siding with leaving it as is because the state is already losing revenue as it is. I'm voting yes on question # 2 because I do see all of the legwork in pursuing charges for such minimal amounts of weed as a waste of money and resources. As for question # 3, i'm going to have to say no to getting rid of greyhoud dog racing. I cannot put dogs over people's livelihoods. It's hard enough out here as it is. Plus, as my man Styles P said, "Mike Vick bought a pit, now he going to jail, he ain't have a license to shoot no damn duck or quail."

pick your poison, i suppose.

Extinguish the sun when I drool, play pool with the planets

"Spectacular miraculous flow, computer digital
I ridicule the pitiful, piss upon the minuscule"
-De La Soul f/ Pharoahe Monch, "Weed #1"

I came across this interesting article on a Stanford class on how to develop Facebook applications. The idea may seem fad-chasing to some and novel to others. Regardless, it was the most popular computer science class at the school. Personally, I thoroughly enjoy facebook and try to earnestly use it to its full potential. I have found former classmate from elementary and middle school. I have helped promote my own civic agenda via my personal networks. And I have managed to do a great deal of professional networking as well.

I'll admit it; I'm a junkie, maybe. It's not that I have an addiction. I just like sticky sites and facebook is definitely sticky, for all kinds of right and wrong reasons. Would you believe somebody had the nerve to create a group for people who hate my spontaneous way of taking pictures?! I've since realized that I ask for permission more often before snapping away. Nevertheless, I see the possibility of the Stanford class as something that could be replicated in the the K12 environment. There are already scores of teens on these sites and schools across the country offering AP Computer Science and Java programming classes. There is definitely a lack of students whose minds are being engaged with the prospects of careers in the STEM fields. Now, we just gotta figure out a way to make it work. I just hope it doesn't go the way of the game design movement in schools and fizzle out like a match in the Chi (Chicago).

urgency and importance

I came across this insightful article on How to Manage Your Time and Focus on What's Really Important. It was a great read with some very simple and straightforward suggestions. It was based on the work of Stephen Covey and Randy Pausch. Basically, it involves reorganizing your life's tasks into four quadrants and focusing on what matters the most; life's important stuff. The unimportant minutiae can come later. So simple, yet seemingly so effective.

Just imagine oh much more productive, happy, and probably healthy we'd be if w could stick to the basics. I for one try to merge what I do for work with what I like doing in general. Match your vocation with your vacation. Word.

Welcome To The Terrordome

instead of writing a little something, how about I drop some videos on you. holla.

A Poem For The Youth Voter
This Ill Doctrine joint is hot. A real basic backdrop snare kick and great enunciation.


Pharoahe Monch's Welcome to the Terrordome
Ill cover of Public Enemy's classic jam. Great visual and superb lyrical content as is customary with the god.


Vote However You Like
start civic engagement erarly



Don't Give Up
aka Don't Celebrate Prematurely

This is chess, not checkers

Who pulls the puppet's strings?

Today is Halloween. Four days until an Election Day of astronomical significance. Three days after a Massachusetts State Senator was arrested and publicly shamed for a bribery scandal. Which was the same day a former Detroit mayor was sentenced to 120 days in jail.

They say a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

But a mind divided against itself is in fact a crime against humanity.

To be in Boston this week, it's hard not to have politics on the brain. Barack Obama is on the verge of winning the hearts of the world if he wins next Tuesday. Anyways, what I do know is that we have to resume our focus and re-commit even more. The integrity and moral fabric of black leaders is being challenged across the country as we have seen plenty of failures of the public trust. Dianne Wilkerson has let her folks down and has unanimously been asked to resign by her peers; yet she refuses despite originally indicating she'd accept their decision. Kwame Kilpatrick has gone from being a shooting star to a plummeting pile of poop. There are plenty of folks who were already working towards a goal of really shaking things up next year. It is time for us to really put that into high gear. We are the change we've been waiting for, right?

The say absolute power corrupts absolutely.

How do you deal with the mixture of emotions and all of the clashing ideologies that rise to the surface when you juxtapose the good and the bad? Is it the power that goes to our head?

The world will continue to orbit the sun next Wednesday, yet all of our heads will be spinning. If Obama wins, the rush of emotion is sure to be monumental, all-consuming, and worrisome. There have always been folks skeptical that there will be assassination attempts. Or that he won't be able to bring about all of this change in which he so often asks you to believe. Or maybe he is really pro-Black and Jeremiah Wright will be tapped as the next Secretary of State and George Clinton will perform "Paint The White House Black" at the inauguration.

Who knows? Is he a Manchurian candidate or not? Time will only tell. And the clock is ticking. My Boston folks know this all too well. A lack of civic engagement will corrode the continuity of progress in our communities if all these young urban professionals don't start really rolling up the sleeves and move beyond meetings to take action. Strategic planning is a helluva drug indeed.

you do us a disservice when you become sheep

So said my mellow my man, Sirius Black. Truer words ain't never been spoken.

I had what may go down as one of the most professionally challenging dilemmas I have ever encountered.

I was out around the way for most of the day. My morning stop at a middle school entailed some real productivity. I managed to resolve some of the principal's technology issues on-site. I got clarification and a plan of action for some small tech projects we have in progress at the school. I checked in on a teacher who I assisted my prior visit and she gave me the thumbs up. I assisted another teacher with some robotics kits and curriculum and answered some questions to help her get an after-school program off the ground.

And then it happened.

These two kids were hemming each other up on the hallway. And when I say hemming I mean straight YOKE CITY up in this piece. Now, about 30 minutes earlier or so as I was waiting for the teacher to finish class, I did casually notice a couple of hallway straggler but thought nothing of it. I also threw in my own little, 'yo watch your mouth' when one kid was bumping his gums a little too loosely. So anyways, back to this little scuffle in the hall. Now, mind you, our arms are full with the kits from the trunk of my car. To my right is this big black dude; literally. He stood about 6 feet solid and was a good 250. That's my word. And he was motionless. And I was dumbstruck.

The kids eventually fell back and chilled after we walked by and resumed our work. Some of the other kids follow us to the room asking what the kits were for. So me being me, I just start rapping with them.

And then it happened again.

This one kid feeds off my questions and blankly states, 'i don't go to class.' I kinda ignore him and then pounce on him with more questions. I took the career approach on what he'd like to be in life and he literally made my soul cry. He was obviously very bright, but I could smell the bullshT on the tip of his lips. He gave me some very straight-up answers and I came right back with my matter-of-fact jawns. Then he gave me the 'you're entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine' line and kinda dismissed me. I couldn't decide between punching him in his fuqing nose or hugging him. It was the most unnerving situation I have encountered in a long time. And rarely get uncomfortable because I do not like it one bit. Yet, I had to keep trying. Turns out, he wants to be a mechanic, yet admits that everyone then tells him you still need school for that, to which he shrugs it off. So I even resort to some last-minute reverse psychology shT and tell him to ask the questions because he seems to already know all the answers to get his shT together. He fell for it for a full 10 seconds; tops. So then I drop the disservice/sheep line on him that the homie Sirius Black dropped last night at Poetic Escape. He soaks it in and I ride out letting him know how to reach me when he's ready.

And then I see the big black dude. And for a good five minutes I am torn between calling him out for just standing there earlier or just letting it ride. So I do a little investigative work and decide to say something. I tap on the door and we speak for about 10 minutes. And I get the full story. I've never truly understood what 'lab cluster' means, but now I know. And he opened up to new perspectives on how such issues can and should be addressed. I won't say I agree with everything he said, but he did make valid points. Do you really want to break up a fight every 30 minutes? When it's the same kids fighting one day and sitting next to each other in class joking 30 minutes later? When you're not even supposed to truly jump in the foray? When there are past examples of teaching getting injured? When there is a lack of ground rules and non-negotiables? Even when a big black dude - a potential role model to these young black boys teeter-tottering on the each of manhood - is virtually helpless amidst of an environment where it literally seems like a pre-prison summer camp?

I often say, you learn something every day. And I love the feeling. I bask in the glow of those light bulbs that go off in my head when something new makes something old click. Today was a learning experience that I'm going to have to let marinate and digest for a hot minute. Because right now, I've got indigestion like a mutha....

Bring the White House dudes around the blacks that's poor

"Warrior kings sent to the bing and left to die
Girls confuse sex with love so they extra dry
And got birth control stuck to they necks and thighs"
-Styles P & Talib Kweli, "testify"

With a scant few days before this whole presidential brouhaha, I'd like to campaign for change. Change in the way that educations gets talked about. As a product of inner-city schools aka a child of the ghetto, myself and others know full well of the realities of urban education and its inequities. It is the reason many of my friends do the work they do in an effort to right wrongs. The old David versus Goliath process at work again. Yet, we still working on the aim of our stones. Jay Matthews briefly mentions the need to refocus the scope of how education reform is mentioned and framed. The ED in '08 movement looks promising, but then what? After all the confetti hits the floor, who is going to bust out the brooms and vacuums and get to work? I'm feeling a bit numb kind of like how all the debate talk about Iraq and Afghanistan left me wondering what about all the dead bodes piling up in inner city America.

Here's the trailer for the documentary, 2 Million Minutes:

Diversifying Architecture

So, I'm heading to the statewide STEM Summit today. i hope to make some great connections and do a littl ebit of networking, eavesdropping, and note-taking. The last time around, I got some great insight on the value of service learning and tried to integrate a lot of its tenets into some of our programming. Plus, I saw a great piece in Monday's Herald (pdf) covering Ted Landsmark's attempts to diversify and expose more students of color to the architecture profession. I highly admire Mr. Landsmark. He is a great mentor and inspiration to me. I ran into him last week at Mel King's birthday celebration and had a quick second to shake his hand and briefly catch up. As a matter of fact, he has spoken to the NSBE Boston chapter the last 3 years. I completely feel his cause and the urgency with which it is needed. I once referred to myself as an engineering evangelist. After the laughter subsided, I pleaded my case. Too many youngsters around the way may seem tech-savvy, yet they are keyboard peckers with little awareness of anything beyond the power button. Every time I visit a class or school, I am constantly voicing the need for students to wo/man up and become producers as opposed to merely consumers. Some get it and want to be down. And unfortuately, with just a week away, I don't think enough attention has been paid ot the need for a national heightened sense of urgency in ensuring these professions have a pipeline of students in order to keep this country competitive on a global scale. My NSBE peoples, if you willing to step it up a notch and put some more sweat into your giving back endeavors, feel free to fill out a mentoring program form and holla at me.

i don't fuq with politics. i don't even follow it.

on some KRS, Ice Cube, Chris Wallace shT
De La Soul, Too Short, bumping 2Pacalypse
-kweli

here's my futile attempt at quasi-live blogging.

so, i'm at this political forum at RCC that was scheduled for a 6:30 start, but kicked off at 7. The lil homie and I are here.
Definitely got off to an interesting start with DW asking where the 2 cameras were from. One of them was from an SCD volunteer. He pretty much got sonned into turning it off. Comedy.

I do recall seeing plenty of names on the announcement invite. However, only 3 folks are on the stage/dais: Dianne Wilkerson, Gloria Fox, & William Leonard.

Lead-off: financial crisis & the impacts of Governor Patrick's cuts. Pretty standard progressive fare.

Foreclosure issue: i'm feeling Fox's response about saving ourselves.

730: SCD just rolled through.

question about criteria on evaluating budget cuts. ho hum. Wilkerson makes good point aout diversity of input/advocay at the cutting block table. however, it seemed like a forced attempt when she mentioned some latino grup she helped.

7:50: Liz Malia & Antony Galluccio rolled through.

Bailout question. The $750 billion elephant in everybody's kitchen cupboard. all good points, well at least points that make sense. got a lil fiesty with some subliminals thrown in for dramatic effect. Leonard is straight up grass-roots; against damn near everything. Chang-Diaz makes good point about rolling up the sleeves, although she seems to be campaigning (what i'll do) as opposed to giving her ideas.

Liz Malia is a nice lady; and quite competent. I've met her several times at the neighborhood cookout. She's always personable and friendly. She doesn't talk for applause or seek them out, but she gets them because the words out of her mouth make sense from truly realistic perspectives.

Galluccio made a good point about public safety and talking TO troubled folks as opposed to talking about them.

had to bounce before it was over. i give it a B. probably put together last week. holla.

Can Obama See the Grand Canyon?

The following article is quite long, yet quite provocative. It is very high-level and focused, but has the cpacity to learn you something. Word.

Read: Can Obama See the Grand Canyon?

Thinking you entitled, about to tie your own noose

"Call myself putting all my faith in Christ
I just preserve my demons, put my faith in ice
Calculated the price, of sacrifices I made
Now i'm in the shade, seeing how the game is played"
Little Brother f/ O-Dash, "One Eleven"

just a brain dump from the last few weeks of lapsed blogging

work: I am at full throttle and going hard. Plenty of projects galore. On one hand, I feel more connected than ever to the district's overall efforts to impact learning. I've always felt that what we did in my department was unique because of the deep connections and relationships we were able to forge with teachers and students. But now I am starting to broaden the scope of our outreach beyond just the techies. And it has been an enthralling ride of dismay and disillusionment; empathy and excitement.

politics: What more can be said that hasn't already been hashed and rehashed on a daily - if not hourly - basis. Obama is poised to literally flip the script. Hope is one helluva drug, ain't it? I'm just wondering if we'll be hearing James Weldon Johnson's anthem at the inauguration. Speaking of which, if this thing goes down as expected, I'm going to have to roll down to DC for that. My moms took a leave of absence and bounced to Ohio to work on the campaign. She's geeked to the tenth degree, to say the least. I am just very, very concerned that for all the inspiration and pride that this election can possibly bring, things won't change much.

bball: I got a team together to play in this league. Finally, I thought, put my crew of homeboys together on one squad so we can chill beyond the club and Football Sundays. Alas, we have no chemistry. Le sigh. We'll get it together eventually, I suppose.

Games: I used to enjoy playing Scrabulous on facebook until Hasbro started suing folks. They got shut down, but apparently the real Scrabble finally hired a technology team to develop an app. So of course I had to try it out. So far, it seems okay but in the back of my mind I am thinking, yo, this shT sucks to high hell, son. Le sigh.

Connecting The Dots: I have been paying some attention to South Africa lately. President Mbeki was forced out and it seems that the ANC may be splitting into rival factions soon. Apparently, the younger generation is grateful for the ANC's legacy of fighting against apartheid, yet aren't that connected to its causes and are even a bit suspicious of some its ungrounded motives. Hmm. Methinks that sounds eerily similar to our very own NAACP and its struggles to woo my peer generation into its movement.

Music: It will BEHOOVE you to check out the Foreign Exchange. If ever I was more serious about embracing something so intangible that it could compel you to change your world view, go listen to this album. You don't even have to buy it, unless you happen to like it. And you will. Seriously though, Phonte is truly one of the most formidable artists f our time. And he definitely doesn't have the widespread recognition that he should. Speaking of which; the same could be said for several others. Chaundon is super ill with the wordplay. Elzhi is simply amazing with his delivery. Jean Grae is a phenomenal lyricist and storyteller. Wordsworth will probably never get his just due and the attention he so very much deserves. Blitz has an uncomparable amount of passion and soul. Toni Blackman is utterly talented to the nth degree. And Pharoahe Monch is still a slept-on living legend. Whew.

how to make a transformer car halloween costume

why not?

Another Opportunity: Boston School Committee

Here's another opportunity for young professionals of color to consider. Back in the day, the city council wasn't the most heavily contested elected office. That place was reserved for the Boston School Committee. You ever heard the stories about all the drama that encircled the city after the open process was done away with and the group became an appointed body. Well, here's your chance to step in the shoes of other Boston leaders like Ruth Batson, Felix Arroyo, and John O'Bryant, among others.

The Boston School Committee is the governing body of the Boston Public Schools. The School Committee is responsible for:

• defining the vision, mission and goals of the Boston Public Schools;
  
• establishing and monitoring the annual operating budget;
  
• hiring, managing and evaluating the Superintendent; and
  
• setting and reviewing district policies and practices to support student achievement.
  

Applications are currently being accepted for one position on the Boston School Committee. The term of Michael D. O'Neill will expire on January 5, 2009. Mr. O'Neill was appointed last July to fill the vacancy of Michele Brooks, who resigned to become Assistant Superintendent for Family & Student Engagement with the Boston Public Schools.

Boston School Committee members are appointed to serve four-year staggered terms. When vacancies exist, the Mayor appoints members from a list of candidates recommended by a 13-member Citizens Nominating Panel composed of parents, teachers, principals, and representatives of the business and higher education communities. Under the legislation that established the appointed School Committee, "the Mayor shall strive to appoint individuals who reflect the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the city." Anyone interested in applying must submit an application by 12 noon on November 17, 2008. All applicants must be residents of Boston. Application forms are available for download.

Turn Off The Radio

"Platinum don't mean that it gotta be hot
I ain't gotta love it, even if they play it a lot"
-Dead Prez, "Turn Off The Radio"

Felt like digging in the crates...I mean...calendars and post-it notes...and share my love for concerts. Here's a listing of the ones coming up in the next month or so around Boston. If you get a chance to catch any of these, don't forget to holla.

10/23, Thu - Talib Kweli, David Banner @ Clark U, Atwood Hall, Worcester, $12, 8pm

10/24, Fri - Little Brother, Talib Kweli, BOB @ Showcase Live, Foxboro, $30, 8pm

10/24, Fri - Jedi Mind Tricks, Outerspace, Reef the Lost Cauze, King Magnetic w/ Adlib @ The Middle East (Downstairs), $20

10/28, Tue - Murs, Kidz in the Hall, Rapper Big Pooh, Isaiah @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, 8pm, $12

10/31, Fri - The Roots, Estelle, Gym Class Heroes @ The Palladium, Worcester, 7:30pm, $36

11/1, Sat - Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Moe Pope @ The Middle East (Downstairs), Halloween hip-hop dance party, 18+, $20

11/2, Sun - Mr. Lif, Blak Madeen, D-Tension, True Indeed @ The Middle East (Downstairs), 18+ $15

11/4, Tue - Edo. G, Slaine, Akrobatik, Indifferent Arts @ The Middle East (Downstairs), 18, $15

11/8, Sat - Cormega @ Harpers Ferry, Allston, 8pm, $15/18

11/11, Tue - Wale @ Harpers Ferry, Allston, 8pm, $15/18

11/15, Sat - Freeway @ Harpers Ferry, Allston, 8pm, $25

11/18, Tue - Shwayze @ Harpers Ferry, Allston, 8pm, $25

11/18, Tue - Anthony Hamilton @ Showcase Live, Foxboro, $25, 8pm

11/19, Wed - Devin the Dude, Coughee Brothaz @ The Middle East (Downstairs), 18+ $15

11/21, Tue - Al Green Hamilton @ Showcase Live, Foxboro, $80, 8pm

12/5, Fri - Method Man, Redman, Termanology @ The Palladium, Worcester, 7pm, $27

12/30, Tue - Soulive @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, 8pm, $23

1/24, Sat - Collie Buddz @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, 9pm, $25

Be sure to explore the hardcore that came before Columbus

"Preserve the herb, never kick it to the curb
Vocalize a verb and the return of the word"
-Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, "Return of the Mecca"

discover. a verb. to make known or visible. to obtain sight or knowledge of for the first time.

I had today off, yet I still had a LOT of work to do. Nevertheless, I came across some great stress relief. If you don't 'get' it, don't feel bad. No harm; no foul. If you do 'get' it, wipe the tears from your eyes and have a good week.

And regardless of whether you are working four or five days this week, make sure you always take some time for yourself to seek the real story, truth, and meaning instead of being spoon-fed some poop (as the midget would say). Stay up.

link: Uncomfortable Music

Interested in Board Service?

I have served on the board of a local community organization for the past four years. It has been an eye-opening and rewarding, yet very challenging experience. I enjoy it and have grown personally and professionally in the process. I once participated in a great program, Next Generation, that was specifically focused on recruiting, training, and placing young people of color on the boards of local schools, organizations, and companies. For any of the old Next Generation folks or my peoples in Boston looking to take their leadership to the next level, I have an opportunity for you.

My son's school has a governing board that consists of parents, teachers, and community members. I am hoping to find 1 or 2 interested community members who would be interested in joining the board. The time commitment is one meeting a month. If you are a young professional and are serious about truly stepping up to the mantle of leadership in this town, board service is a great avenue for you to truly gain some valable breadth and depth to complement your professional experience. It can truly be a mutually-beneficial networking and career development opportunity as well as a way to volunteer with focus. Holla if interested.

The world's a song, you'll get it back you just lost your verse

"Ask God when he stopping the pain
A fiend got a shoelace on his arm and he popping his vein
and the needle look dirty but I'm close to reaching thirty"
-Styles P, "Black Magic"

We still huffing and puffing over here. I've been sick for over a full week. What started out as some basic sniffles went into some straight other ish. But I think I'm almost over it. I got two tooth fillings as well so my mouth is a bit crooked because of how it changed my bite. That's been a bit disconcerting. I've been eating a little better in terms of home-cooked food and such. I even have been manning the stove a little more often lately. My scrambled egg game is hella nice. Reminds me of how I used to hold it down in middle school as the pre-teen babysitter of the family.

Work is mad-stupid-busy-crazy-hectic-fun all in one breath. I'm loving it. Cylinders are clicking. Change is happening. Moves are being made. I'm ticking off more goals on the intangible to-do list of life. I start teaching again next week. Yet, I definitely need to get prepared for that; materially and mentally. This time, it is at a church in Roxbury as opposed to a school. But I'll still be dealing with adults. We'll see how that goes.

Life is going well. I've been trying to be more healthy and focused on that front. Aside from the eggs, I've been trying to eat more fruits and nuts and cut down on my juice intake. I used to think I was doing alright, but all that sugar could catch up to me. And here I was thinking I was fly drinking all that 100% juice. Silly me. I've got a doctor and a dentist. My dentist is Black, my doctor is not. My president's about to be black, my quasi-Lambo looks blue depending on the angle. It's really black though, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to mention some random verse in a sentence in context. Context is everything, right?

No disrespect to you, make sure your word is true

"You feel my triumph never, feel my pain I'm lying
Low in the leather Zion, the best that's ever came
The game changes like, my mind just ain't right
We 'gwan get this dough, I guess it ain't your night"
-Jay-Z, "Politics As Usual"

This is my latest letter to the editor. It concerns the race for the 2nd Suffolk State Senator District here in Massachusetts. The two opponents are incumbent, Dianne Wilkerson, and challenger, Sonia Chang-Diaz. You can do the knowledge to get the background details, but basically Wilkerson has served for eight terms, yet Chang-Diaz won the Democratic primary in September by just over 200 votes.

As a young boy, two of the most important lessons I learned from my family
were of the importance of respecting your elders and of the value in the
power of example. I have a great deal of respect for Dianne Wilkerson and
her impassioned legacy of being a champion of causes I hold dear, but
there also comes a time when the young folks need to simply say enough.

In thinking back to a certain special election a mere three years ago, I
can clearly recall the pleas for some of the candidates to step aside in
order to not dilute the votes and clear a path for victory for a candidate
with a unified community in tow. Sonia Chang-Diaz's victory in the
Democratic primary seems to me to be an identical situation and is a sign
of the changing times that were festering ever since the news media began
throwing around "New Boston" as its phrase-of-the-day.

Communities of color need fresh ideas and energy. We need more active
civic engagement by the legion of young professionals who live and work in
this city. We need more heavily contested campaigns. I am tired of seats
running unopposed as though incumbency is absolute. Is this not the great
Commonwealth, where much of this country's independence was forged
resistance to the status quo?

This is not an endorsement, but more a public challenge. Why not cheer the
persistence of Chang-Diaz to run again and mount a strong campaign. Let's
continue to encourage her peer generation to continue to reach for not
only the low-hanging fruit, but also to dream a better world than the one
in which we live. We see the gray clouds of the economy's collapse and the
bailout plan looming overhead. This region cannot grow or mature with
stubborn minds or mixed-up priorities. No politician is free from the
criticism that comes with serving in public office.

Much like personal responsibility is a root cause of the financial
breakdown, it is also a call to action that citizens and elected officials
must heed to truly be effective leaders. In a relay race, batons are meant
to change hands. Torches are supposed to be passed from one generation to
the next. There's a give-and-take that can respect all generations; with
the old guard as coach and mentor to a new breed receiving guidance and
advice on what it means to have wisdom, honor, integrity and esteem. It is
time for all of us to "wo/man up" and represent.

What Does Grace Mean To You?

"Cause I'm an ace when I face the bass
40th side is the place that is giving me grace"
-Nas, "Halftime"

On Friday, September 12th, I caught a play in Harvard Square (Cambridge) at the American Repertory Theatre. Entitled, "Let Me Down Easy," it was a one-woman stage production that was truly moving. Anna Deavere Smith is a story-teller in the truest and most empirical form. She weaved together tales of sorrow, pain, heartache, adulation, and struggle to bring the stage to life. The props were basic, yet the visuals were pretty ill.

The concepts of grace and compassion are central themes throughout the production. She channels not only the voices and accents of people she encountered all over the world, but also managed to capture their spirits as well. From Rwandan genocide survivors to jockeys to journalists, she does an amazing job of making a patchwork of disparate narratives fall into place as a collective tale of the diaspora of the human spirit.

Several things stood out to me. It had to do with the concept of circles of identity and how even when we are defined by who we are, we can still be rendered powerless in the face of a greater lack of diversity. Sometimes your significance is diluted simply by your surroundings. Another equally compelling notion was the ideal that ALL local conflicts have the potential to threaten and engulf us all. To me, it struck to the core of how America's indifference to much of the past several decades of turbulence in Africa has contributed to the continent's instability. And lastly, no one is ever truly safe; no matter how good they are. I've often bemoaned the fear I carry with me of becoming of victim. You never know when someone will consider you to be a cockroach and decide today is the day to trample upon you.

In retrospect, I think we can all learn a thing or two about ourselves if we take time to actively listen to the stories of others. The play was real good. What started as a medical school project became a series of interviews and then staged readings and now a stunning performance. The show runs through October 11th. Get in there, yo. Shout-out to Sandra from the Bay State Banner.

broken promises, privatized profits, and socialized debt

There are people in life who have such an aura of wisdom that encircles their being that you cannot help but feel a little bit smarter after having a conversation with them. One such gentleman by the name of Ty comes to mind. I most recently ran into him at an open house on Monday evening at the new offices of the Union of Minority Neghborhoods (UMN). UMN has been a steadfast proponent of community organizing, social justice, and - most recently - CORI reform and social justice. Its executive director, Horace Small, is a large, loud, and proud brother from Philly who gets down with the get-down. He is a tireless advocate and a consummate mentor who I have come to wholeheartedly admire and respect. At the open house, UMN friends and supporters had a chance to meet board members and their new staff additions. I had a chance to eavesdrop on a conversation Ty was having about the recent economic woes facing the country. And it was a simple, singular observation that struck a chord with me.

privatized profits, socialied debt

In essence, that's what all this bailout brouhaha amounts to. Just another remixed version of the same rich get richer and the poor get poorer song that we've all heard before. Folks in the nonprofit and social services arenas have been damn near begging seemingly forever. Yet, the War on Terror and the Iraq occupation has been funded well. The mortgage crisis and golden parachutes are nothing new, yet now we want to bail all of these companies out all of a sudden? Yet, we preach the gospel of good financial management of consumers; rich and poor alike. A high school kid questioned why wasn't anyone making these companies put some of their profits in a savings account. Simple and yet so poignant, right?

But how can this land of the free and home of the brave protect corporate profits and shareholders before the everyday man and woman with no accountability or oversight? Robert Reich said it best, "We tell poor nations they have to make their financial markets transparent before capital will flow to them. Now it's our turn." It's time for the government to man up and holla at Warren and get to regulating on these fools or else you and I will be taking on Wall Street's risk and bad debt. And I got enough beef with Sallie Mae as it is to take on any more. Word.

looking for something to do this weekend?

Oh really? Well, you are in luck, yo.

There's a live art show on Saturday featuring graf artists in action and a DJ spinning the-kind-of-music-I-like-to-dance-to at Re-Up in Brighton. The midget and I will be in the building, yo. I may even try to cop something. Shout-out to my man Steve from SimplyOutstanding for putting me on to this. I'm really loving the ill visual arts and graf community that Boston has.

The critically acclaimed movie, Trouble The Water, opens this weeekend as well. In Boston, it's playing at the Kendall Square theater.

And I'd be remiss if failed to mention the four festival thingies going on. This is really, truly a good weekend to get out and about and emjoy life. Don't waste a second of it, yo.

Boston Tattoo Convention (Fri, 9/12 - Sun, 9/14)
http://www.bostontattooconvention.com

The Boston Arts Festival (Fri, 9/12 - Sun, 9/14)
http://www.bostonahtsfestival.com

Boston Film Festival (Fri, 9/12 - Wed, 9/17)
http://www.bostonfilmfestival.org

Boston Comedy Festival (Sun, 9/14 - Sat, 9/20)
http://www.bostoncomedyfestival.com

Enjoy.

Barr Fellows Program

The Barr Fellows Program honors the contributions of the most gifted and experienced leaders in the Boston area. Over a three-year period that includes a sabbatical, international travel, a series of retreats, and peer learning, these distinguished leaders have an important opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of their organizations and find the inspiration to attain even higher levels of effectiveness, creativity, and innovation.

The Barr Fellows program is designed to focus on leadership. It is intended to honor the contributions of the Boston area's most gifted and experienced nonprofit and public school leaders by giving them an opportunity for replenishment, and by supporting their organizations during this time. These leaders primarily come from nonprofits working within the Barr Foundation's program areas of education, environment and the arts, but the interdisciplinary nature of the problems we seek to address calls for a broader mix and therefore also includes leaders from housing and social services. The growing diversity of our city, especially the increase in immigrant populations, also suggests that effective leaders must develop a global perspective. We have built that learning into our design as well.

Barr Fellows Program

It was more of a formality, but I had to submit a letter of support for Project HIP-HOP's participation in the Barr Fellows Program. More formally, it is actually a nomination for our Executive Director, Mariama White-Hammond. So, this is really just a shout-out. lol. I had to start it out all cutesy to keep you reading though. Clue-clue-clue...Desert Sorm. LOL.

The Barr Fellows Program honors the contributions of the most gifted and experienced leaders in the Boston area. Over a three-year period that includes a sabbatical, international travel, a series of retreats, and peer learning, these distinguished leaders have an important opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of their organizations and find the inspiration to attain even higher levels of effectiveness, creativity, and innovation.

She awed me when we first met and continues to inspire me to this day. So instead of bestowing praise as an after-thought, how I give some credit where it due. A shout-out also goes to Marvin Martin of the Greater Four Corners Action Coalition and Jesse Solomon of the Boston TEacher Residency Program; two fellas I know are doing great work in the city who joined her in the Barr Fellows Class of 2009 cohort of 12 leaders. Word.

Community Partnerships Leaders Program

Community Partnerships Leaders Program

Overview: The Community Partnerships Leadership Program (CoPaLS) is a new initiative created by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation with input from a number of organizations working to improve access to health here in Massachusetts. CoPaLS’ purpose is to strengthen the basic leadership skills among emerging community leaders and activists who are passionate about their work. CoPaLS meets weekly for 5 evening sessions conducted over two-months.

Program topics are:

• Determining and Setting Strategy for Successful Community Health Initiatives
• Building Collaborative Meetings
• Dealing with Conflict and Learning to Talk About It
• Working Collaboratively with the Press
• Impacting Policy

Participants:

• We are looking for applicants who are passionate about improving access to health in their communities by strengthening their skills in the topics areas listed above.
• A group of up to 20 highly-regarded applicants with recognized leadership potential will be selected to participate in CoPaLS.

Eligibility and Selection:

• Candidates for the program those people in the community who work closely with a community health center, advocacy group, or community based organization. The candidates are seen as emerging leaders and who would benefit by strengthening their skills in working with a variety of stakeholders.
• Selection will be based on completing an application, the individual’s commitment to attend all five sessions, and their goals of what they plan to do with the tools and network they gain through the program.

How to Apply:

• Applicants must complete the attached application package and submit to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 18, 2008.
• Applicants are encouraged to have a letter of endorsement of not more than a page from a not-for-profit organization serving the low income and uninsured here in Massachusetts.

Program Cost:

• The Foundation covers the tuition for the program, including the cost of sessions and other learning experiences, educational materials, and meals during the sessions.
• In addition the Foundation will assist with parking or transportation costs.
• Should assistance with reimbursement for child care be a necessity, the Foundation will help.
• Participants accepted into the program are requested to make a one time payment of $25. This is representative of the individual’s intention to take part in all five sessions of the program. The money is used to help defray the cost of materials and food.

Selection Timeline - 2008:
A Selection Panel made up of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation staff will evaluate the applications. Decisions of the Selection Committee are final.

September 18: Complete Application Materials due by 5 p.m.
September 23: Selection and Participant Notification
October 15: First session begins at Landmark Center

It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under

A child was born, with no state of mind
Blind to the ways of mankind
God is smiling on you but he's frowning too
Cause only God knows what you'll go through
-Grandmaster Flash, "The Message"

so i'm putting gas in someone else's car about to head back to the bean and and this cop pulls up talking about 'where you headed'?

woosah...

so i shrivel my face and say what the hell are you asking me that for? he then says well you not going anywhere because that car's registration is suspended, etc. he then says you have to leave it here and get a ride and be happy that i don't ticket and tow you. so, why is it suspended, we ask as we wave the valid registration that just got renewed in may? oh, that's just a piece of paper. i have it here in my computer system. and without any real proof other than his word, he again says we need to call a ride and he pulls off.

we are in Chelmsford (a good 30+ miles from Boston), having pulled off Route 3 for a quick fuel-up. i don't even know the exit number yo. oh, so you gonna just up and leave like that. what if i didn't have a cell phone?!

but the part that gets me the most is...i was PUMPING GAS!

who the fuq runs plates on a car sitting at the pump. ah yes, but of course, i fit the description. i had the XL orange football jersey, those oh so comfy loose-fit jeans, and an untamed 'fro. why else would you become suspicious enough to do something like that at damn near midnight? i could understand if we were speeding, driving erratically, running consecutive yellow lights, or had a tail light missing. but really though...i'm going to need for you to do a better job of cloaking your bias, homeboy.

and people wonder why Michelle Obama said she was proud of her country for the first time in her adulthood.

so...here's a little something for you to enjoy if you don't have the MP3: NWA-FuQThePolice